In his sixth annual address, the president stretched some facts on his record.
FactChecking Obama’s State of the Union
Issues: deficit
Biden’s Boasts
Vice President Joe Biden went too far in boasts about job growth and deficit reduction.
Obama’s Numbers October 2014 Update
Income, Poverty, Spending and Obamacare: Our regular update of the statistical record.
Obama’s Numbers (April 2014 Update)
Our statistical indicators include record corporate profits and millions flocking to Obamacare, along with stagnant wages and a doubled debt.
Deficits Falling (From Way Up)
In recent speeches, President Obama has repeatedly claimed that “our deficits are falling at the fastest rate in 60 years.” That’s not true.
Spinning Obama’s Budget
Both parties are putting political spin on the deficit reduction contained in President Obama’s $3.78 trillion budget plan.
Paying People to Play Video Games
House Speaker John Boehner tweets that the Obama administration is spending $1.2 million “paying people to play video games.” That’s misleading. The government did pay $1.2 million for university research that includes the study of how video games can stimulate the cognitive abilities of seniors. A fraction of that cost went to compensate seniors who participated in the study, researchers say.
Boehner was one of several prominent Republican congressmen who sent out a flurry of tweets – hashtag #cutwaste – distorting the research.
Reid Twice Wrong on $2.6 Trillion ‘Cuts’
Sen. Harry Reid was doubly wrong when he claimed that Congress already has cut $2.6 trillion from projected future deficits by reducing “non-defense programs” alone.
In fact, legislation he refers to applied to both security and non-security spending. Furthermore, a good chunk of the deficit reduction came from tax increases, not spending cuts.
Reid made the claim — twice — on ABC’s “This Week” on Feb. 3, in support of his argument that further deficit reduction should include more tax increases and cuts in military spending.
Chained Explained
Using a more accurate cost-of-living adjustment for federal benefit payments and tax brackets would cut the federal deficit by perhaps $300 billion over the next 10 years. But it faces opposition from both right and left. Economists generally agree …
Facing Facts on Fiscal Cliff
The U.S. faces the possibility of another recession — the third in 11 years — if President Obama and Congress cannot find a way to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. The one-two combination of massive tax increases and spending cuts …